Swimming paddle



Sept. 11, 1962 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 J. L. MARTIN SWIMMING PADDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 James L. Mar/in INVENTOR BY Wm ea WW5; EM

Sept. 11, 1962 J. L. MARTIN 3,052,897

SWIMMING PADDLE Filed Sept. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 James L. Mari/h 1N VEN TOR.

BY 24m United States Patent 3,0523% SWlNlll/HNG PADDLE James L. Martin, Box 493, Robersonville, N.C. Filed Sept, 39, 1959, Serial No. 843,457 3 Claims. (Cl. 9-24) This invention relates to a novel and useful swimming paddle, and more particularly relates to a swimming paddle which is adapted to be used by a swimmer either as a buoyant support or as a means for propelling the swimmer through the water either above or below the surface thereof.

The swimming paddle is designed with a pair of hollow paddles formed on the opposite ends of a central elongated body member to be used by means of an overhand stroke to propel the swimmer while on top of the water. The main body portion comprises a pair of aligned elongated handle portions which are pivotally secured to each other for rotation about an axis extending longitudinally of the elongated body portion relative to each other. With the handle portions pivotally secured to each other in this manner, the paddles may be twisted or rotated ninety degrees relative to each other so that one presents a flat surface to the water during a paddling stroke while the other presents a relatively small narrow surface which enables the latter to pass forward through the water with a minimum amount of effort. By alternately rotating the paddles in this manner, the swimming paddle may be used to propel a swimmer beneath the surface of the water.

Besides being adapted to propel a swimmer across the surface of a body of water and through the water beneath the surface thereof, the swimming paddle may also be used as a buoyant support and as a towed vehicle with the swimmer lying prone thereon holding onto a tow rope and inclining the leading paddle either downward or upward to move through the water beneath the surface as well as on top of the surface thereof.

The main object of this invention is to provide a swimming paddle wh ch may be used conveniently to propel a swimmer across the surface of a body of water as well as through the water beneath the surface thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a swimming paddle which may also be used as a buoyant support.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a swimming paddle that will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be economically feasible and easy to manipulate.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the buoyant swimrning paddle with the paddle secured to the opposite ends thereof being shown in rotated positions 90 relative to each other, the paddle being used by a swimmer to propel himself beneath the surface of a body of water;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the swimming paddle;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of one end portion of the swimming paddle, with parts thereof being removed and shown in section to illustrate the construction of one of the handle portions;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the paddle as seen in FIGURE 3 with parts of one of the handle portions being broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3,3525%? Patented Sept. 11, 1962 5-5 of FIGURE 4 and showing the construction of the pivotal connection between the aligned handle portions; and

FIGURE 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 19 generally designates the buoyant swimming paddle comprising the instant invention which includes an elongated body generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 comprising a pair of longitudinally aligned elongated handle portions 14. The handle portions 14 are circular in cross-section and are of such a diameter to be readily grasped by the hands of a swimmer 16, see FIGURE 1.

Formed on the remote ends of the handle portions 14' are a pair of paddles 18 each of which is conventionally shaped having a pair of fiat enlarged side surfaces 20 interconnected by means of relatively narrow end surfaces 22.

With particular attention now directed more particularly to FIGURES 3 through 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the remote ends of the handle portions 14 are each provided with a blind bore 24, while the paddles 18 are hollow and secured to the remote ends of the handle portions 14, as at 26, in any convenient manner so as to seal the blind bores 24 and th interior of the paddles 18 from the entrance of water thereinto. It will be noted, see FIGURES 3 and 4 that the blind bores 24 and the interior of the corresponding paddles 18 are in communication with each other, thereby defining a pair of water-tight buoyant compartments on opposite ends of the swimming paddle 1t Formed in the adjacent ends of the elongated handle portions 14 area pair of aligned blind bores 28 which each slidably receive one end portion of pivot pin 30. The pivot pin 34 is provided with a transverse bore 32 which is aligned with transverse bore 3-?- formed through the corresponding handle portion 14 that communicates with the blind bore 28 formed therein. Bores 3'2 and 34 are aligned and receive therethrough a fastener 36 which secures one of the handle portions 14 to the pivot pin 30 for rotation therewith.

Disposed about the pivot pin 39 intermediate the adjacent end portions of the handle portions 14 is a bearing 38 which is secured to the other handle portion 14 by means of a bearing retainer, generally referred to by the reference numeral 4% The bearing retainer 40 is secured to the other handle portion 14 by means of suitable fasteners 42 and is in the form of a cylindrical element having an end wall 44 provided with a centrally disposed aperture 46 which receives therethrough the pivot pin 30. Thus, it may be seen that the one handle portion 14 is secured to the pivot pin 31} for rotation therewith while the other handle portion 14 with the bearing retainer 40 secured thereto is rotatably journaled on the pivot pin 30.

Formed on the pivot pin 39 is an annular shoulder 48 which is disposed between the bearing 38 and the paddle 13 of the handle portion 14 to which the bearing 38 is secured for the purpose of restricting movement of the bearing 38 longitudinally of the pivot pin 30 away from the handle portion 14- which is secured to the pivot pin 30 for rotation therewith.

It is to be understood that a means may be provided, if it is desired, to limit the rotation of one handle portion 14 relative to the other handle portion 14 to Such a means could be in the form of any convenient type of limit stop and would be very useful to a swimmer 16 unfamiliar with the operation of the buoyant swimming paddle 19. Also, if it is desired, seals (not shown) could be provided between the bearing retainer 40 and the handle portion 14 to which it is secured and between the bearing retainer 40 and the pivot pin 30 to prohibit the entrance of water into the bearing 38.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A swimming paddle comprising an elongated body member having a pair of blades on opposite ends thereof, said body comprising a pair of aligned elongated handle portions, rneans securing the adjacent ends of said handle portions together for relative rotational movement about an axis extending longitudinally of said body and against axialmovement relative to each other, including a pair of aligned axially extending blind bores formed in the adjacent ends of said handle portions, a pivot pin having its opposite ends received in said blind bores, means securing one of said handle portion-s to said pivot pin for rotation therewith, said first mentioned securing means including means rotatably journalling the other handle portion on said pivot pin.

2. The combination of claim -1 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a bearing disposed on said pin intermediate said handle portions, a bearing retainer securing said bearing to the end of said other handle portion, and means on said pivot pin engaging said bearing for restricting sliding movement of the latter longitudinally of said pin away from said first handle portion.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said bearing retainer includes an apertured end Wall disposed between said bearing and said one handle portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

